Baseball Recruiting

[Coastdog28]

Anybody want to give any insight on this? There really isn't a website that fills you in (besides a subscription to PG I suppose).

How is our class looking this year and for the next few years?

[engie]

Stacked as hell. We're just now back to elite recruiting across the entire class...If we develop the guys we've got coming as well as the guys on the team, the sky is the limit.

Keep up with it here(for free): http://mississippistate.scout.com/3/signees.html

Gene does a pretty good job with baseball-related things. I believe he's a player or two behind for the 2014 class though...

ETA: We've got signed(Humphries tied 14th) or committed(Vallot tied 8th) two of the top 14 highschool homerun hitters in the country according to Maxpreps. Humphries gets an extra base hit every 4 plate appearances -- Vallot gets one every 5.

Pitching talent we've got coming is nothing short of tremendous either. Dakota Hudson is the best raw talent we've signed on the hill under this regime and could easily be an SEC starting pitcher throwing in the HIGH 90s as a freshman...

[Coastdog28]

Stacked as hell. We're just now back to elite recruiting across the entire class...If we develop the guys we've got coming as well as the guys on the team, the sky is the limit.

Keep up with it here(for free): http://mississippistate.scout.com/3/signees.html

Gene does a pretty good job with baseball-related things. I believe he's a player or two behind for the 2014 class though...

ETA: We've got signed(Humphries tied 14th) or committed(Vallot tied 8th) two of the top 14 highschool homerun hitters in the country according to Maxpreps. Humphries gets an extra base hit every 4 plate appearances -- Vallot gets one every 5.

Pitching talent we've got coming is nothing short of tremendous either. Dakota Hudson is the best raw talent we've signed on the hill under this regime and could easily be an SEC starting pitcher throwing in the HIGH 90s as a freshman...


That is great and all, but I was really wondering where we stack up next to other teams. It seems as though baseball recruiting is very difficult to judge (due to players leaving early). I saw where UNC has several players that are considered 1st round talent and I can only assume they won't be going to school.

Is there a website that lists class rankings? Gene lists vague descriptions like "one of the best in the nation" etc. So, that guy is top 10, top 100, top 1000, see where im going?

But, i hope this is a great sign to come. We have overachieved the past couple of years and hope that once we get the talent, the CWS will be expected.

[engie]

That is great and all, but I was really wondering where we stack up next to other teams. It seems as though baseball recruiting is very difficult to judge (due to players leaving early). I saw where UNC has several players that are considered 1st round talent and I can only assume they won't be going to school.

Is there a website that lists class rankings? Gene lists vague descriptions like "one of the best in the nation" etc. So, that guy is top 10, top 100, top 1000, see where im going?

But, i hope this is a great sign to come. We have overachieved the past couple of years and hope that once we get the talent, the CWS will be expected.

Baseball recruiting rankings are 10x the joke of football or basketball rankings... But perfect game and I believe baseball america both do them. Perfect Game doesn't consider JUCO transfers -- not sure how BBA does it...We've had highly-rated classes every year according to those sites, outside of last year due to being such a small class. Basically every player we signed this year is considered in the top 1000 by Perfect Game -- Todd can give you the exact player rankings.

I can tell you from following closely over time -- those classes weren't even CLOSE to what we've got coming next year and what we've got the foundation pieces for in 2015 and 2016. Whether or not that shows up on rankings, I don't know -- But it will show up on the field.

We didn't get touched in the draft this year in the highschool ranks, despite having at least 4 guys considered easy top 10 round talents... That's huge for us going forward.

[Todd4State]

This is per Perfect Game. My comments are in italics.


Gavin Collins Nat Rank 225 C 6-0 195 R-R El Toro Lake Forest CA Top 500 draft prospect per PG. Will compete for playing time immediately next year.

Dakota Hudson Nat Rank 238 RHP 6-5 190 R-R Sequatchie County Dunlap TN Drafted by the Rangers and will compete for a weekend rotation spot. Tops out at 94 last year.

Austin Sexton Nat Rank 242 RHP 6-2 175 R-R Sparkman Madison AL Had some injury issues last year, but should be fine. Potential weekend starter later in his career.

Reid Humphreys Nat Rank 247 SS 6-1 190 R-R Northwest Rankin Brandon MS Drafted by the Nationals and among the leaders in home runs for the nation. Mississippi POY. Will contribute immediately.

Zachary Houston Nat Rank 343 RHP 6-6 220 R-R Poplarville Poplarville MS Raw, but has good size and is very projectable. Possible weekend starter or closer for us as his career progresses.

Avery Geyer Nat Rank 405 RHP 5-11 195 R-R Pensacola Catholic Navarre FL Very underrated recruit. Was undefeated and throws in the low 90's despite his size.

Glenn Irby Nat Rank 500 LHP 6-1 205 L-L Mars Hill Bible School Florence AL Ace on a team that had another pitcher sign with a SEC school. Potential weekend starter or possible LH reliever as his career progresses.

Trent Simpson Nat Rank 500 1B 6-5 225 R-R Oxford Oxford AL Possible grayshirt candidate in football may not contribute for a couple of years because of grayshirting. I think baseball is his better sport and he hit 8 home runs last year. I'm hearing that he may enroll as a full time student now.

Derek Martin Nat Rank Top 1000 RHP 6-3 195 R-R Tri-County Academy Flora MS Sign and place will be at Hinds next year. Likely a relief pitcher for us.

Brent Rooker Nat Rank Top 1000 3B 6-5 190 R-R Evangelical Christian Germantown TN High character kid who hit 7 home runs and participated in the National Power Showcase. Won a POY award for the Memphis area. Has the ability to play any corner position and will compete for starting time next year.

Vance Tatum Nat Rank Top 1000 LHP 6-3 175 L-L Southaven Olive Branch MS Led team to 6A state title and won a POY Award for the Memphis area as the top pitcher on the Mississippi side of Memphis. Will compete for a bullpen spot and has the potential to be a SEC weekend starter.

Jacob Billingsley Nat Rank Top 1000 RHP 6-2 190 R-R Magnolia Heights Senatobia MS Very nice find for our staff. Throws in the low 90's and burst on the scene his senior year and led his team to an undefeated season. I think he will be a potential closer/relief pitcher for us.

Dylan Ingram Nat Rank Top 1000 1B 6-4 210 R-R Edgewood Academy Pike Rd. AL Raw talent from a small school who won the POY Award for Montgomery as a junior. Very good size and power potential.

Levi Mintz- NR by PG and doesn't have a PG profile. RHP 6-4 195 R-R Cedar Bluffs AL Pitched for a very small school and led them to the 1A state title in Alabama. Throws in the low 90's and his 80's. May be a RS candidate and will be a relief pitcher for us.

[Goat Holder]

If there's one thing you don't have to worry about regarding MSU athletics, it's baseball recrootin.

[CadaverDawg]

This is per Perfect Game. My comments are in italics.


Gavin Collins Nat Rank 225 C 6-0 195 R-R El Toro Lake Forest CA Top 500 draft prospect per PG. Will compete for playing time immediately next year.

Dakota Hudson Nat Rank 238 RHP 6-5 190 R-R Sequatchie County Dunlap TN Drafted by the Rangers and will compete for a weekend rotation spot. Tops out at 94 last year.

Austin Sexton Nat Rank 242 RHP 6-2 175 R-R Sparkman Madison AL Had some injury issues last year, but should be fine. Potential weekend starter later in his career.

Reid Humphreys Nat Rank 247 SS 6-1 190 R-R Northwest Rankin Brandon MS Drafted by the Nationals and among the leaders in home runs for the nation. Mississippi POY. Will contribute immediately.

Zachary Houston Nat Rank 343 RHP 6-6 220 R-R Poplarville Poplarville MS Raw, but has good size and is very projectable. Possible weekend starter or closer for us as his career progresses.

Avery Geyer Nat Rank 405 RHP 5-11 195 R-R Pensacola Catholic Navarre FL Very underrated recruit. Was undefeated and throws in the low 90's despite his size.

Glenn Irby Nat Rank 500 LHP 6-1 205 L-L Mars Hill Bible School Florence AL Ace on a team that had another pitcher sign with a SEC school. Potential weekend starter or possible LH reliever as his career progresses.

Trent Simpson Nat Rank 500 1B 6-5 225 R-R Oxford Oxford AL Possible grayshirt candidate in football may not contribute for a couple of years because of grayshirting. I think baseball is his better sport and he hit 8 home runs last year. I'm hearing that he may enroll as a full time student now.

Derek Martin Nat Rank Top 1000 RHP 6-3 195 R-R Tri-County Academy Flora MS Sign and place will be at Hinds next year. Likely a relief pitcher for us.

Brent Rooker Nat Rank Top 1000 3B 6-5 190 R-R Evangelical Christian Germantown TN High character kid who hit 7 home runs and participated in the National Power Showcase. Won a POY award for the Memphis area. Has the ability to play any corner position and will compete for starting time next year.

Vance Tatum Nat Rank Top 1000 LHP 6-3 175 L-L Southaven Olive Branch MS Led team to 6A state title and won a POY Award for the Memphis area as the top pitcher on the Mississippi side of Memphis. Will compete for a bullpen spot and has the potential to be a SEC weekend starter.

Jacob Billingsley Nat Rank Top 1000 RHP 6-2 190 R-R Magnolia Heights Senatobia MS Very nice find for our staff. Throws in the low 90's and burst on the scene his senior year and led his team to an undefeated season. I think he will be a potential closer/relief pitcher for us.

Dylan Ingram Nat Rank Top 1000 1B 6-4 210 R-R Edgewood Academy Pike Rd. AL Raw talent from a small school who won the POY Award for Montgomery as a junior. Very good size and power potential.

Levi Mintz- NR by PG and doesn't have a PG profile. RHP 6-4 195 R-R Cedar Bluffs AL Pitched for a very small school and led them to the 1A state title in Alabama. Throws in the low 90's and his 80's. May be a RS candidate and will be a relief pitcher for us.

Thank you, Todd. I love this type of information, and I appreciate you taking time to post it.

Question for you guys....

I see that our highest ranked guys start in the 230's-240's. Is that considered pretty high? Do the top 100 or so usually go straight to the pros? I'm just curious how many guys ranked 1-230 actually go to college. Or is that about as high as we can expect in the future for some of our kids that make it to campus to be ranked?

In other words, is this considered a top 10 class compared to other teams once you remove their guys that sign pro contracts? Or is this more like top 25-30ish? Or is that even measurable?

[Todd4State]

Thank you, Todd. I love this type of information, and I appreciate you taking time to post it.

Question for you guys....

I see that our highest ranked guys start in the 230's-240's. Is that considered pretty high? Do the top 100 or so usually go straight to the pros? I'm just curious how many guys ranked 1-230 actually go to college. Or is that about as high as we can expect in the future for some of our kids that make it to campus to be ranked?

In other words, is this considered a top 10 class compared to other teams once you remove their guys that sign pro contracts? Or is this more like top 25-30ish? Or is that even measurable?

I'd take the ratings with a grain of salt. Perfect Game has a bad history of ranking guys higher that pay more for their showcases and things like that. They have consistently ranked Ole Miss's classes higher than ours- and you see how accurate they have been. There's a reason why I call Ole Miss the Perfect Game All-Stars. I definitely mean it with sarcasm.

It's worth noting- those are national rankings I listed and are for high school only. They also have other rankings- for state and position. They also rank players on potential on a scale from 0-10 and for reference, Austin Sexton is a 10.

This class is probably a top 20 class if I had to guess- especially when you include the JUCO players in it. I'm also hearing that we are going to get at least one-two more late signees.

[Coastdog28]

I'd take the ratings with a grain of salt. Perfect Game has a bad history of ranking guys higher that pay more for their showcases and things like that. They have consistently ranked Ole Miss's classes higher than ours- and you see how accurate they have been. There's a reason why I call Ole Miss the Perfect Game All-Stars. I definitely mean it with sarcasm.

It's worth noting- those are national rankings I listed and are for high school only. They also have other rankings- for state and position. They also rank players on potential on a scale from 0-10 and for reference, Austin Sexton is a 10.

This class is probably a top 20 class if I had to guess- especially when you include the JUCO players in it. I'm also hearing that we are going to get at least one-two more late signees.

Baseball recruiting is tough to get a read on. Thanks for the insight.

[Sandman14]

Todd (or anyone) what about this: I've always felt like it is more difficult in baseball to have, say, a top 20 class every year when compared to football, with the reason being the scholarship restrictions. It seems more like basketball where if you have schollies open and sign a big class, you'll necessarily be ranked higher than a lot of folks. In this way, maybe our last several class have not been top 5, per se, but when you stack them up and have the consistently, are we recruiting pretty much as well as anyone? I realize we could use some extra big bats, but the pitching seems ridiculously rich.

Or is all that wishful thinking and we really still have room to improve?


Also, it occurs to me that we should be getting a "Bregman" before long....a true ss that just wants to come be our guy for 3 years and then go pro...If I'm out there and watching us play in Omaha, damn it sure would seem fun to come to MSU and absolutely rule the campus for three years, given the attention paid to baseball at MSU.

[Tbonewannabe]

What about Preston Palmeiro? Did he ever sign anywhere?

[Coach34]

What about Preston Palmeiro? Did he ever sign anywhere?

not yet

[engie]

What about Preston Palmeiro? Did he ever sign anywhere?

Still waiting to hear.

We are in his final 4 along with North Carolina, TCU, and Oklahoma St. I thought he might stay home at TCU, but they just lost their hitting coach and recruiting coordinator to Arky -- so we will see.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/17/4944749/former-rangers-son-making-splash.html


The schools still in the running for the first baseman are Oklahoma State, TCU, North Carolina and Mississippi State ? in no particular order, he said after the all-star game. Two of those schools, UNC and Mississippi State, finished in the final eight of the NCAA tournament, punching tickets to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The outcome of the series could have a say in Palmeiro?s decision, he said, so he will most certainly wait until its conclusion to take his pick.

[CadaverDawg]

Engie, Todd, whoever....

What is the status of Wes Stokes and Cody Brown? Did they redshirt? Are we expecting them to contribute?

[Ronny]

..if it wasn't for state of Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be on par with Tennessee's.

Virtually our whole pitching staff is from Alabama.

And if I'm reading this recruit list correctly, Cohen has taken 5 more top players out of Alabama.

We need to send Alabama a thank you note.

Because if not for (state of) Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be a bottom-tier joke.

[CadaverDawg]

..if it wasn't for state of Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be on par with Tennessee's.

Virtually our whole pitching staff is from Alabama.

And if I'm reading this recruit list correctly, Cohen has taken 5 more top players out of Alabama.

We need to send Alabama a thank you note.

Because if not for (state of) Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be a bottom-tier joke.

Yea, we get a lot of great players from there. And not to get ahead of myself, but look at the following year's recruiting class. Already have some of the top players committed out of Fl, Ga, Tn, and Louisiana. A few of them appear to be top 100 recruits with offers from Fl, Fl St, UCLA, South Carolina, etc...

http://mississippistate.scout.com/2/1228851.html

This CWS run is only going to push that even further over the top.

[Ronny]

..we have a legit national base of recruiting when it comes to baseball (really an international base when you consider our Canadians) but what Alabama offers our baseball program is unparalleled.

Seriously, somebody needs to write the state of Alabama a thank you note for what they have done for MSU baseball.

[GumpDawg]

Before you go and thank Alabama for all the players you do realize that several of our commits from here (I live in Bama) have strong ties to MSU. So an offer from the in state schools means nothing to them for the most part. We do get a lot of kids from here and for the most part it is because they know bama and auburn don't give a crap about the sport. That and Butch Thompson's ties haven't hurt either.

[Todd4State]

Engie, Todd, whoever....

What is the status of Wes Stokes and Cody Brown? Did they redshirt? Are we expecting them to contribute?

Yes, both of them redshirted. Stokes will likely come back in the fall, but Brown will likely be at a JUCO next year.

[CadaverDawg]

Yes, both of them redshirted. Stokes will likely come back in the fall, but Brown will likely be at a JUCO next year.

Thanks. Do you think Stokes can help us any?

[Todd4State]

..if it wasn't for state of Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be on par with Tennessee's.

Virtually our whole pitching staff is from Alabama.

And if I'm reading this recruit list correctly, Cohen has taken 5 more top players out of Alabama.

We need to send Alabama a thank you note.

Because if not for (state of) Alabama recruits signing with MSU, our baseball program would be a bottom-tier joke.

I don't think we would be a bottom tier joke without Alabama. Our last two first round picks are Mississippians and Frazier was from Georgia. In fact, among our starters among position players we only had one player in the field that was from Alabama- and that was Sam Frost who platooned. Now, you are correct that our two starting pitchers were from Alabama, but neither one of them were supposed to be our top two guys. That would have been Woodruff and Lindgren- again two Mississippians. Holder- from Mississippi. Ross is from Nashville. Pollorena was from Texas.

We need to continue to clean out Mississippi as we have been doing lately, and then supplement it with players from Alabama, Memphis, and Louisiana. And then add in a few guys from California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. If we do that, we are going to continue to have lots of success.

[Todd4State]

Thanks. Do you think Stokes can help us any?

Maybe in middle relief. I'm not looking for too much out of him.

[AROB44]

..we have a legit national base of recruiting when it comes to baseball (really an international base when you consider our Canadians) but what Alabama offers our baseball program is unparalleled.

Seriously, somebody needs to write the state of Alabama a thank you note for what they have done for MSU baseball.

Let's do that right after they send us one re football (all the way back to the Bear Bryant days) and basketball (not just D. Pollard either).

[maroonmania]

Still waiting to hear.

We are in his final 4 along with North Carolina, TCU, and Oklahoma St. I thought he might stay home at TCU, but they just lost their hitting coach and recruiting coordinator to Arky -- so we will see.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/17/4944749/former-rangers-son-making-splash.html

Well who knows where he ends up BUT how could you not want to come to a program on the rise with the fan support in baseball we have where you get to practice in a facility with your Dad's name on it? Seems like a no brainer to me but what do I know.

[Ronny]

I don't think we would be a bottom tier joke without Alabama. Our last two first round picks are Mississippians and Frazier was from Georgia. In fact, among our starters among position players we only had one player in the field that was from Alabama- and that was Sam Frost who platooned. Now, you are correct that our two starting pitchers were from Alabama, but neither one of them were supposed to be our top two guys. That would have been Woodruff and Lindgren- again two Mississippians. Holder- from Mississippi. Ross is from Nashville. Pollorena was from Texas.

We need to continue to clean out Mississippi as we have been doing lately, and then supplement it with players from Alabama, Memphis, and Louisiana. And then add in a few guys from California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. If we do that, we are going to continue to have lots of success.

...do this: Subtract this year's Alabama influence:

http://www.hailstate.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&SPID=10993&SPSID=90859

No Bracewell, no Norris, no Frost, no Britton, no Girodo, no Garner (didn't play this year but will next year), no Fitts, no Graveman.

Subtract those Alabamians from our 2013 roster & tell me we still play for a NC.

Now subtract the 5 guys Cohen is about to bring in from Alabama. And then consider MSU's baseball future.

I don't even know why you would argue this point. Your guru credentials will not take a hit if you admit how important Alabama has been to MSU baseball.

[CadaverDawg]

...do this: Subtract this year's Alabama influence:

http://www.hailstate.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&SPID=10993&SPSID=90859

No Bracewell, no Norris, no Frost, no Britton, no Girodo, no Garner (didn't play this year but will next year), no Fitts, no Graveman.

Subtract those Alabamians from our 2013 roster & tell me we still play for a NC.

Now subtract the 5 guys Cohen is about to bring in from Alabama. And then consider MSU's baseball future.

I don't even know why you would argue this point. Your guru credentials will not take a hit if you admit how important Alabama has been to MSU baseball.

I definitely see what you're saying, but if you subtract those guys, you would have to add that many guys from either MS or other states right? So technically, we could have still made the NC depending on who you replace those Alabamians with. Just sayin.

But yes, Graveman, Bracewell, Girodo, Fitts, and Frost were key parts to us making the run...no doubt.

[Todd4State]

...do this: Subtract this year's Alabama influence:

http://www.hailstate.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&SPID=10993&SPSID=90859

No Bracewell, no Norris, no Frost, no Britton, no Girodo, no Garner (didn't play this year but will next year), no Fitts, no Graveman.

Subtract those Alabamians from our 2013 roster & tell me we still play for a NC.

Now subtract the 5 guys Cohen is about to bring in from Alabama. And then consider MSU's baseball future.

I don't even know why you would argue this point. Your guru credentials will not take a hit if you admit how important Alabama has been to MSU baseball.

Alabama baseball has been important to us, and we might not have made it as far without those guys, but we wouldn't be a bottom tier joke as you originally suggested either. That's what I am arguing- that we would be a bottom tier joke without those players.

[Sandman14]

you'd have to take those roster spots and give them to someone else. britton sucks, at least so far. frost was never anything important to the team. he batted decently his senior year, but he made numerous clutch errors when he was in the field. bracewell...he's a guy I always liked, but let's get real. He didn't give us anything this year. Aside from his performance in the Bama series and maybe one or two other outings, he certainly was not the reason we played for the national title. norris? gimme a break.

basically the only guys you've named that were instrumental in our team's performance this year are graveman and girado. take all those bama roster spots and give them to others and I'm sure you'd have at least two that played an important role.

bama is good. it's right next door. glad we raid bama. we should raid bama. we should and are doing the same with a few louisiana players now. but let's don't over do it. if I recall, the last time we made omaha, we had a few florida guys playing instrumental roles.

[CadaverDawg]

you'd have to take those roster spots and give them to someone else. britton sucks, at least so far. frost was never anything important to the team. he batted decently his senior year, but he made numerous clutch errors when he was in the field. bracewell...he's a guy I always liked, but let's get real. He didn't give us anything this year. Aside from his performance in the Bama series and maybe one or two other outings, he certainly was not the reason we played for the national title. norris? gimme a break.

basically the only guys you've named that were instrumental in our team's performance this year are graveman and girado. take all those bama roster spots and give them to others and I'm sure you'd have at least two that played an important role.

bama is good. it's right next door. glad we raid bama. we should raid bama. we should and are doing the same with a few louisiana players now. but let's don't over do it. if I recall, the last time we made omaha, we had a few florida guys playing instrumental roles.

Dude, what the ****? Do you ever think about what you type?

Frost and Bracewell were big contributors this year whether you want to admit it or not. And for the 1000th time, Britton is only a SOPHOMORE. Can we please give the guy a break for his Freshman year struggles? He hit .250 this year in very minimal at bats...which is better than some of our starters."Britton sucks"...great logic.

I agree that Ronny is stretching it a bit, but don't spit in the face of two 4th year guys that contributed a lot this year, and another 3rd year guy that could be our starting SS next year.

[Sandman14]

as far as the dude what the ****, that's red herring stuff, so I'll disregard.

as far as the substance, I really came around on Frost THIS YEAR ONLY. Prior to this year, he has really damaged us. It has been one of the curious decisions by Cohens to continue to play him. even this year, his costly errors at 3rd were very damaging at times, but we overcame them. I cannot give Frost credit for being a big contributor, though. I think he certainly contributed, but if you told me he was going to bring what he brought when we signed him, I'd probably take a flier on someone else.

I'm Bracewell's biggest supporter. I love the guy. But we would have been fine without him this year. Thats just the bottom line. At the end of the year, he was a guy who was good enough that he wasn't someone we threw in there when trailing (gentry, cox), but he also wasn't good enough to really see much action when it counted. he did start the regional championship game, but he only gave us a couple innings. He was about like fitts, in the end. a nice little piece but nothing we could rely on. I really hope he can excel next season. I'm a big fan.

As for Britton, I'm not spitting at him. I just have never seen him play baseball at the level which would warrant being an everyday starter at any position. I am only saying that I honestly hope he is not the best we have at SS next year. I hope he proves me wrong and is great. But you can't go acting like he, as a product of Alabama, is something special. Not at this point.

This whole line of debate is not aimed at discrediting players, it's just commentary on the fact that Bama has really only given us two major contributors this season and then two other guys that had a limited role. We have about 10-12 guys who are major contributors and maybe another 6 or so that had limited roles. so all I'm saying is that Bama has done about what we should expect when you consider that Starkville is only a few miles from the Alabama state line.